3 foreign managers that Cardiff City could consider to replace Erol Bulut | OneFootball

FLW outline three managers Cardiff City should be eyeing after sacking Erol Bulut.

Cardiff City have sacked Erol Bulut and are in search of a new manager to lift them out of immediate relegation trouble.

Despite putting pen to paper on a fresh two-year contract earlier in the summer, Bulut was relieved of his duties over the weekend after enduring a torrid run of early-season form which has seen Cardiff lose five of their opening six matches.

After a 1-0 defeat at Pride Park against Derby County, John Percy of The Telegraph revealed that the Cardiff hierarchy could be set to make a change imminently. He took charge of the game against Leeds United over the weekend, but was sacked after a 2-0 defeat in Cardiff.

Many fans were hoping he could build on finishing mid-table in his first campaign. A high turnover of players this summer meant there was hope that the Bluebirds could push for a play-off place, with ambition shown within the market through Anwar El Ghazi, Chris Willock. That was accompanied by younger, more strategic signings such as Alex Robertson, Jesper Daland, and Will Fish.

The latest defeat leaves Cardiff bottom of the table, having picked up just one point from six games, conceding 13 goals already in the process and scoring just once.

Nothing concrete has materialised yet in terms of an appointment, but with Bulut gone, they will need to act quickly. Here we have taken a look at THREE foreign-based potential replacements for the Bluebirds to consider in the meantime.

Freyr Alexandersson

Freyr Alexandersson could be a name to monitor in Cardiff City's managerial hunt, according to a recent report by Glen Williams of WalesOnline.

KV Kortrijk boss Alexandersson is "not a name to rule out" in Cardiff's search. Kortrijk ply their trade in the top-flight of Belgian football, and are one of three clubs owned in Vincent Tan's business empire, alongside Cardiff and Bosnian club FK Sarajevo.

Connections between Cardiff and Kortrijk have been developed in recent years; the two sides faced off in pre-season this summer, while Isaak Davies, Ryotaro Tsunoda, Sheyi Ojo, and, most recently, Roko Simic have all been loaned out to Belgium in the last 12 months.

Alexandersson, then, certainly appears to fit the bill. The Icelandic boss has already made little secret over his desire to potentially manage the Bluebirds, having spoken to Fotbolti earlier in the summer amid a delay in handing Bulut a new contract.

Javi Gracia

Javi Gracia last managed in England with Leeds, where he was unable to get his feet under the table in any sort of meaningful way after the sacking of Jesse Marsch, with the Whites relegated under Sam Allardyce in the end.

He is perhaps best known for his time in England with Watford, where he was revered for a spell at Vicarage Road. He guided them to an FA Cup final and mid-table finish, and his football was among the best Watford have played during their recent stint in the Premier League.

That experience of English football would certainly be of benefit to Gracia, who has been out of work since leaving Elland Road. However, he has had impressive stints in charge of the likes of Watford, UD Almeria, Al-Sadd, and Cadiz.

That's despite things going wrong with Leeds and Valencia in more recent roles, but the Spaniard's pedigree could get a tune out of a Cardiff side not lacking in technical quality, particularly in midfield areas. The 54-year-old would surely relish the chance to manage in British football once more, and Cardiff could be a good fit for him.

Kjetil Knutsen

A left-field shout could come in the the form of 55-year-old Bodø/Glimt manager, Kjetil Knutsen. However, he would be an ambitious choice and it's unclear if he would depart from a club he is so settled at.

Knutsen’s stock is growing by the game as a manager, and he would be a good choice for Cardiff to go with, if they could convince him to join them in the second tier.

He’s been in Norway’s Eliteserien for over six years now and won the manager of the year three times in that period. His eye-catching style was most well noticed in the Europa Conference League two seasons ago, which included a 6-1 win over eventual champions, AS Roma.

He is one of the most tactically innovative managers outside of the big five leagues and his reputation is growing by the game. A move to a more competitive and stronger league is surely coming soon for the 55-year-old. His style of play is fast and possession-based, but the intensity of his press is most impressive.